Deck Review: Legacy of the Divine Tarot

Ciro Marchetti, Legacy of the Divine Tarot (deck and book set). Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2009. ISBN: 9780738715650. (link to publisher)

 

The Fool-0

I used this deck during July 2020. This is one that I thought I had reviewed before, but I realized I had not (gives you an idea how the Hard Times may be having an effect). For me, this is one of my favorite decks, and I think it is Marchetti's best, even as he has gone to make other decks. This deck has nice substance, story, and the art is magnificent. It is a deck I enjoy using, and I found it hard to put aside at the end of the month. I just wanted to keep using it.

Let's start with the companion book. The book is arranged as follows in three parts. 

• The story. This presents the story, the legend, the myth of the long gone civilization that left us the Tarot. It also tells of the man who kept this secret and summoned Marchetti to bring the art to life. I found the story interesting, and it was a good way to draw us into the deck. You can of course use the deck without reading the story, but I think it enhances the mystique of the deck and the overall experience if you do read it.
• The cards. This is where you get the card meanings. You get a chapter each for Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, and Court Cards. Something I really like in this book is that, in addition to Marchetti's own card interpretations, he brings in other Tarot experts and collaborators to give their own interpretations and perspectives on the cards. The result is that you get a good amount of content and information on each card. Unlike other companion books, this book does not go short on the Minor Arcana. You get about the same substance as in the Major Arcana. Having additional collaborators in the book 
• How to read Tarot. This section is written by Leisa ReFalo. It includes basic instruction on how to read the cards, do a spread, and interpreting the cards. It also includes five Tarot spreads you can try out. 
• An appendix with tables of attributions. 
• A small bibliography you can use for further reading. 

 

Two of Swords

Overall, you get a lot of substance and value in the companion book. Some Tarotistas often skip companion books, but I would recommend at least taking a look at this book. You can get a lot of insight on the cards' art and symbols from reading this very accessible text. Plus studying the meanings and interpretations may help enhance your readings repertoire. For beginners, this is a solid companion book. For more advanced readers, you may still get some ideas from reading the book. Though the book is geared to the deck, this is a book you could use here or there with other decks. 

 Let's look at the cards. The art is just beautiful. Art is colorful. The figures are expressive; you can see their emotions and feelings with ease. You get what I would describe as a blend of fantasy and steampunk with a bit of realism. These are cards that invite you to look closely, to lose yourself a bit as you gaze at them. The images fall mostly within Rider Waite Smith tradition, so if you use that style you are good to go. However, the art is so rich and colorful that intuitive readers can get plenty from this deck as well. A strength of this deck is the attention to detail in each image. It is clear the artist put heart and soul in this work. These cards are a wonder to look at, so many symbols and details. You may find yourself discovering new things every time you look. This definitely a deck to keep using and studying. 

The Sun-XIX

The cards measure 4 1/2 inches by 2 3/4 inches give or take, standard Tarot size. The Major Arcana are

identified by name and Roman numeral. Minor Arcana are identified by suit name and Arabic numeral. Court cards are identified by name. Suits are mostly color coded by element. For example, Coins (pentacles) have green. There are some small card variances in the deck. For example, The Hierophant-V is Faith-V here (and Marchetti does discuss the change for this card in the book). In this deck, Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. Cards have a light gloss. Cardstock is standard Llewellyn stock, but this one does feel a bit better than the usual stock in similar decks such as the Steampunk Tarot (Moore and Fell). My deck is an older one, so it came in the basic flimsy cardboard box. If you get it these days you are most likely getting it with the solid box with the magnetic clasp that Llewellyn is using nowadays. 

Overall, this is an excellent set for beginners as well as advanced Tarot readers. For collectors, this is one to add to the collection. If I was going to give a deck as a gift to someone, this would be a solid choice. It is an amazing deck and book set that I gladly recommend. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

The book and set qualify for these 2020 Reading Challenges: 

Note: Card photos are mine from my personal deck.